Package for paste-like products

ABSTRACT

A package for paste-like products is designed as a packet of a flexible material whose body is defined by walls, a bottom, and a top. The top comprises a covering element, and an opening line is provided between the covering element and the rest of the body. The opening line can include incisions or perforations and a notch at the edge to ease opening the packet. Provided in the area adjacent to the opening line are strip-like forming elements made of inflexible material. The strips are nearly as long as the opening line, and thanks to their inflexibility, the mouth of the opened packet is defined by the strips and looks like a slot with at least two opposite sides parallel to each other. This structure results in obtaining a band of the paste-like product having a substantially uniform thickness when it comes out of the packet.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation in Part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/737,654, filed Feb. 3, 2011, which is a US National Phase Application of PCT/RU2009/000353, filed on Jul. 14, 2009. PCT/RU2009/000353 claims priority to RU2008133410 filed on Aug. 14, 2008, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The following description generally relates to the field of product packaging, in particular for packaging paste-like products, and it can be used preferably, but not exclusively, for food packaging, especially for those traveling, for example, by train or airplane, and also in packaging medicinal products.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Known in the art is a package for liquid medicines, specifically, a child resistant sachet (U.S. Patent Application No. 2003/0168375A1, published Sep. 11, 2003), suitable for holding a medicinal product. The sachet is a three seal sachet, or stick pack, made from a laminate sheet, the sachet having a fin seal along a longitudinal axis and transverse fin seals at each end. The laminate sheet is tough enough to resist tearing unless a notch is provided with which to initiate a tear. A fold line extends across a corner of the sachet and through the fin seal, a notch extending through the sachet in a transverse seal area and perpendicular to the fold line such that when the sachet is folded a cut is revealed that allows the user to initiate a tear across the pack opening up a pouring spout for dispensing the medicinal product.

Also known in the art is a flexible pouch (U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,734 issued on Apr. 9, 1991) made from at least one layer of plastic material bonded to form a closed inner chamber for storing liquid. Peripheral portions of the wall material are contoured and then bonded to form a closed pouring spout at a corner of the pouch. The configuration of the spout is defined by the contour of the bonding in the vicinity of that pouch corner. The pouring spout is opened by cutting the pouch corner at an angle. The flexible walls of the pouch are reinforced in the vicinity of the pouring spout to prevent folding in the vicinity of the pouring spout or to prevent foaming.

U.S. Patent Application No. 2005/0031232A1 published on Feb. 10, 2005 provides yet another example of a package forming a container with two side walls, a base and a top opening. The container is made from a hand tearable material and has an incipient tear tab for first opening of the package once it is filled and sealed. Each side wall has at least a first stiffening element locally reinforcing the material, the stiffening element being selected such that the propagation energy of the incipient tear tab is lower than the rupture energy of the stiffening element. Each side wall includes means for guiding the incipient tear tab on first opening, with the incipient tear tab located between the first stiffening element and the guide means, so that the tear tab is guided.

Also known in the art is a sachet for liquid drugs (WO 95/01921 published on Jan. 19, 1995) The sachet is characterized in that the drug is contained in so-called stick packs. It has one longitudinal and two transverse seams and an opening groove made at the edge of the package.

The packages disclosed in the above publications have insufficiently satisfactory consumer properties resulting from the fact that the release of products contained in the packages is uneven. This is first because, when extracted from the mouth of a package made of a flexible material, the content of the package has a random shape. Also, the opening groove made on the flexible material of the package, if used sharply and carelessly, may result in the rupture of the package in an unwanted place. In addition, when opening such a package, a contact between consumer's hands and the contents of the package is possible.

SUMMARY

Thus, the problem sought to be solved by the proposed solution is to improve consumer properties of the package making it more convenient in the use. In a package for paste-like products including a packet made of a flexible material and defined by walls, a bottom and a top openable along an opening line, this is achieved by providing the packet with inflexible strip-like forming elements placed adjacent to the opening line and along thereof. Their length is essentially equal to the length of the mouth formed when the package is being opened. Thus the shape of a slot formed when the packet is open is substantially non-deformable, and the slot is defined by at least two non-deformable and generally parallel sides. The latter, in turn, allows forming a band of essentially equal thickness out of the product when it comes out of the packet.

Further, the length of the forming elements can be made equal to the length of the opening line.

Yet further, to cover the top of the packet, a sealing element removable along the opening line can be provided.

Additionally, there can be provided elements defining the opening line. Preferably, the defining elements include perforation made on the packet along the opening line.

Still further, the forming elements can be preferably placed on an inner surface of the opposite walls of the packet.

Yet still further, transversal edges of the forming elements can be bridged to form quadrangle.

Even further, lateral edges of the forming elements facing the slot can be made relieved, preferably serrated.

Other features and aspects will be apparent from the following description, drawings and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A-1C show various views of a package when it is closed;

FIGS. 2A-2C show various views of the package when it is opened;

FIGS. 3A-3H and 3J illustrate embodiments of the package differing by a number of seals used when making the package, FIGS. 3A-3E showing the package in the closed state and FIGS. 3F-3H and 3J showing the package in the opened state; and

FIGS. 4A-4C depict various versions of forming elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A package 10 for paste-like products according to the present disclosure is designed as a packet 12 made of a flexible, for example a plastic material. The packet 12 comprises walls 14, a bottom 16, and an openable top 18. The top 18 comprises a closing element 20 that can be detached from the packet 12 along an opening line 22. The opening line 22 is preferably made in the form of incisions and/or perforation.

The packet 12 is equipped with forming elements 24 and 26. They include strips made of a rigid, inflexible material such as hard polyethylene. The forming strips 24 and 26 are generally attached to opposite walls, such as 14 a and 14 b, of the packet 12. Though the forming strips 24, 26 can be located on either side of the walls, it is preferable to place them on the inner side thereof. The forming strips 24, 26, which by their length correspond to that of the opening line 22 (they are nearly as long as the opening line 22), are placed adjacent the opening line 22 to thus help forming a narrow longitudinal mouth 28 of a slot-like shape, with at least two sides of the mouth 28 being parallel to each other. The forming elements 24, 26 may be shaped as strips of various shape. As shown in FIGS. 4A-4B, lateral edges of strips 30, 32 can be relieved (FIG. 4A), lateral edges of strips 34, 36 (FIG. 4B) can be serrated. Also, strips 38, 40 (FIG. 4C) are shown bridged by connecting strips 42, 44 to form a quadrangle 46, which can be technologically convenient.

Also technologically, packages 10, as illustrated by FIGS. 3A-3H and 3J, can be made in various ways. FIGS. 3A-3E show packages in a closed state, FIGS. 3B, 3D being top views of FIGS. 3A and 3C, respectively. FIGS. 3F and 3H illustrate opened packages shown in FIGS. 3A and 3C, respectively. FIGS. 3G and 3J are top views of packages shown in FIGS. 3F and 3H, respectively. The packages of FIGS. 3A-3H and 3J differ in the quantity of seams used in the production of the packages. FIGS. 3A and 3E show a three-seam structure, FIG. 3C shows a four-seam structure, the seams in FIGS. 3A, 3C, 3E, 3F, 3H being shown crosshatched with reference 48. In FIG. 3E, a bottom edge 50 is formed by folding the package material.

The contents of the package are accessed by opening the packet 12 along the opening line 22. By pressing the packet 12, the consumer releases the content through the narrow longitudinal mouth 28, which is formed between the forming strips 24, 26. The contents are released in the form of a strip (not shown) and can be uniformly spread on the surface. This property is convenient when using so packaged paste-like products such as butter, cheese, a variety of pastas and sauces, as it helps to avoid using a knife for buttering, which is especially helpful when it is used in vehicles, planes, or by handicapped people.

Opening the packet and extracting the content from the packet is exercised without contact with the product, as when opening the package along the provided perforations, the customer holds the pack by the edge near the line of detachment; this is convenient, if the contents are fatted or dyeing.

The size and width of the mouth of the package may vary and can be predetermined depending on the product being packaged.

The package is so designed that opening thereof is exercised along the opening line by the notches and/or perforation. The closing element is a part of the package and is detachable when the package is opened Implementation of the inflexible forming elements and positioning the same adjacent to the edges of the opened package forms a slot-like shape of the mouth, which imparts the form of a strip of a required thickness to the product being released from the package. In addition, such a design of the package protects the product contained in the package from being contacted by the consumer's hands, because the rigidity of edges of the package should be sufficient to prevent an occasional discharge of the product. The mouth has a shape of a narrow elongated slot that ensures the release of the contents as a uniform strip. The forming elements shaped as strips allow for easy releasing the product contained in the package by pressing the package in a place free of the forming strips; this ensures a uniform release and application of the contents to the surface. The opening line made in the form of perforations allows for the easy opening of the package by a user along the area of the package compacted by the elements, and prevents the package from being ruptured in an unintended place and helps avoid unwanted contact of the packaged product with the consumer's hands. Thus, as a result provided by the present disclosure, the aforementioned problem is solved, namely, the consumer properties of paste-like products' packaging are enhanced.

Although references have been made in the foregoing description to various embodiments, persons of ordinary skill in the art of food preparation methods and systems will recognize that insubstantial modifications, alterations, and substitutions can be made to the described embodiments without departing from the disclosure as claimed in the accompanying claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A package for paste-like products, the package including a packet, the packet being made of a flexible material, the packet being defined by walls, a bottom, and a top openable along an opening line, the packet comprising strip-like forming elements attached to opposite walls adjacent to the openable top and along the opening line, the forming elements being made of inflexible material so that a slot formed when the packet is open is defined by at least two non-deformable and generally parallel sides, to thereby impart the shape of a band of essentially equal thickness to the paste-like product when it comes out of the packet.
 2. The package of claim 1, wherein the length of the forming elements corresponds to the length of the opening line.
 3. The package of claim 1, further comprising a sealing element covering the openable top of the packet and removable along the opening line.
 4. The package of claim 1, wherein the forming elements are located on internal surfaces of the opposite walls.
 5. The package of claim 1, further comprising connecting strips bridging the forming elements to form a quadrangle.
 6. The package of claim 1, wherein edges of the forming elements facing the slot are made relieved.
 7. The package of claim 6, wherein edges of the forming elements facing the slot are made serrated.
 8. A package for paste-like products, the package including a packet which is made of a flexible material, is defined by walls, a bottom, and a top openable along an opening line, and comprises forming elements attached to opposite walls adjacent to the openable top and along the opening line, the forming elements corresponding in length to the length of the opening line and being made of inflexible material so that the shape of a slot formed when the packet is open is substantially non-deformable between the forming elements, whereby the paste-like product when it comes out of the packet includes a band of essentially equal thickness.
 9. The package of claim 8, further comprising a sealing element covering the openable top of the packet and removable along the opening line.
 10. The package of claim 8, wherein the forming elements are located on internal surfaces of the opposite walls.
 11. The package of claim 8, wherein edges of the forming elements facing the slot are made relieved.
 12. The package of claim 11, wherein edges of the forming elements facing the slot are made serrated.
 13. A package for paste-like products, the package including a packet, the packet being made of a flexible material, the packet being defined by walls, a bottom, and a top openable along an opening line, the packet comprising a sealing element covering the openable top of the packet and removable along the opening line, and forming elements attached to opposite walls, adjacent to the openable top, and expanding along the opening line, the forming elements corresponding in length to the length of the opening line and being made of inflexible material so that the shape of a slot formed when the packet is open is substantially non-deformable between the forming elements, to thereby impart the shape of a band of essentially equal thickness to the paste-like product when it comes out of the packet.
 14. The package of claim 13, wherein the forming elements are located on internal surfaces of the opposite walls.
 15. The package of claim 13, wherein edges of the forming elements facing the slot are made relieved.
 16. The package of claim 15, wherein edges of the forming elements facing the slot are made serrated. 